Automatic pipe-clamp.



l. E. DESPAIN.

AUTOMATIC PIPE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2s, 1915.

1,149,034 Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Za l y Z ZZ l j J JAMES E. DESPAIN, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

.AUTOMATIC PIPE-CLAMP.

Maanen.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented aug. a, 191.5.l

Application mea March 2e, 1915. serial ne. 17,268.

To all 'whom it ma concern.'

Be it known t at vI, JAMES E. DEsPAIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington,have invented a new and useful Automatic Pipe-Clamp, of which thefollowing is a specification.'

This invention re l a te st0 pipe clamps, and more particularly to thatclass employed in clamping or gripping well tubing or pipes.

An object ofthe invention is to provide an automaticpipe clamp asmentioned, capable of being readily assembled about a pipe to positivelyhold the same against any undesirable downward movement; also to providea clamp having a novel arrangement of jaw lifting levers. A

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pipe clamphaving its gripping jaws so constructed as to allow them a maximumlongitudinal movement, to thereby enable one set of jaws to grip severaldifferent sizesv of pipe.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic pipe clampof Ageneral improved construction, whereby the devicewill be simple,durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient,practical, servlceable and eiiiclent 1n lts use.

With the foregoing and other objects inv view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodimentof the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiments in theaccompanying drawings, wherein-` t Figure 1v is a side elevation of thelnvention depicting itholding a -well tubing. Fig. 2 is a top plan'viewof the invention. Fig. 3 is an end view of the invention; and F ig. 4 isa sectional View taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, showing the grippingjaws in two extreme positions. v

ln carryingout the present invention,

there is provided a casing or sleeve composed of two semi-circularsections 1 from which extend radial attaching ears 2. These ears haveapertures for the reception of bolts 3 which hold the two semi-circularmembers 1 assembled to define a circular casing,

- end of a link 12,

which has formed adjacent its lower end a base or platform 4.

Each section 1 of the circular casing is proviflad with a plurality ofuniformly spaced slots or recesses 5, the inner walls of which areinclined as indicated at 6, to ythereby impart to the slots 5 awedge-shape. Extending laterally from each slot 5, adjacent and parallelwith the inclined wall 6, are two grooves 7 for the reception of keys orsplines' 8 which extend laterally from each side of a wedge-shapedgripping jaw '9. These jaws are received by the slots 4 and heldslidably therein by the engagement of the splines 8 with the grooves 7The splines 8 extend throughout the entire length of the jaws 9 in orderto allow the jaws a maximum longitudinal movement, thereby enabling oneset of jaws to grip several different sizes of pipes. In order tomanually raise the gripping jaws 9 to inoperative position, there isprovided a lever 10, which is fulcrumed intermediatev its ends, as at11, upon the upper which has its lower end pivotally secured to the ear2,v by means of bolts 13 or other securing elements. The lever 10 hasits inner end bifurcated to form two arcuate arms 14 Iwhich arepivotally secured, as at 14" l o two complementingarcuate arms 15extending from a lever 16 that is pivotally mounted, as at 17, to theupper end of a link 18. vThis link 18, is `in turn, pivotally connectedto the ears 2 at one side of the casing 1, by means of a bolt 19, orother securing device. The arcuate arms 13 and 15 of the bifurcatedlevers 10 and 16 are provided with apertures 20 that loosely receive theupper ends of depending hooks or links 21, which support, at their lowerends, the gripping jaws 9.

In practical operation, the device is assembled about a well tubing T,as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In this position, the weiltubing may be moved upwardly, should such action be desired, withouthindrance from the device, because the tubing sleeve or joint J willupon contact with the jaws 9, cause them to recede in their wedgeshapedslots, suiiiciently to allow the joints to pass freely therebetween. Butshould the tubing accidentally start to descend, such action would causethe gripping jaws 9 to move downwardly and inwardly to thereby securelygrip the tubing against any further movement. In order to lower thetubing to accommodate,

the bottom of the to release the grip the outer or handle `recededsuiiciently to allow the free passage of the tubing T and joints Jtherebetween, so that the tubing may be lowered. The jaws 9 are providedwith that extend throughout their entire length, thereby permitting themaximum longitudinal movement of the jaws 9 within the slots 4, thusenabling one set of jaws 9 to hold several different sizes of pipe, asshown in Fig. 4. But should a tubing be encountered that the jaws thenin the casing would not a new set of jaws may readily be employed bymerely removing the hooks or links 21 from the eyev at the top of thejaws 9, thereby allowing their removal, preparatory to `insertinganother set of jaws.

This clamp may be removed from about the tubing by releasing the bolts 13, 19 and 14, which allows the entire jaw lifting device to bedisassembled, after which the bolts 13 are removed to permit the casing1 tov be disassembled.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing having wedge-shapedslots formed therein from which laterally extend inclined grooves;attaching ears secured to said casing; links pivotally secured to saidattaching ears; levers fulcrumed on the links, said levers beingpivotally united; hook shaped links loosely secured to said levers;toothed wedge-shaped gripping jaws loosely secured to and suspended bythe hooksliaped links, said jaws slidably received by the wedge-shapedslots; splines formed well, it is lifted suii'icientlyualoiig theinclined splines or keys 8,

edges of the wedgeshaped jaws throughout the entire length 'of the jaws,said splines to slidably engage the laterally extended. inclined groovesformed .in the casing.

2. In afdevice of the class described, a cii'- cular casing composed oftwo semi-circular members, said members having upright wedge-shapedslots formed therein, lfrom which extend inclined lateral grooves;diametrically opposed attaching ears radially extending from theperiphery of the casing, said ears being united by securing means;upright links pivotally secured to said ears;

YYlevers ulcrumed on the links, said levers being 4biiurcated at theirinner ends; arcuate arms extending inwardly from the levers, said armsbeing pivotally united; hookshaped links loosely .secured to the freeterminals of said arcuate arms; toothed wedge-shaped gripping jawsslidably suspended in the wedge-shaped slots of the circular casing fromthe l wer end of the hookshaped links; and lateral splines extendingfrom both sides of the wedge-shaped jaws, said splines extendingthroughout the entire length of the jaws.

3. ln a device of the class described, a casing having wedge-shapedslots from which grooves extend laterally, attaching ears secured to thecasing, pivotally connected levers, link connections between the earsand levers, toothed gripping wedges suspended from the levers,I andslidable within the slots, and means upon the wedges for sliding withinthe grooves.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto aiiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Y. JAMES E. DESPAIN.

Witnesses:

RUTH G. GRIFFIN,

G. Dowm MCQUESTEN.

